Intel's "Santa Rosa" platform is basis for Samsung's next-generation UMPC lineup, which may include an entry-level model

While the wraps still have to be lifted from Samsung's new Q1 Ultra Ultra Mobile PC (no,
that's not a typo) at CeBIT 2007, some information has quietly slipped out from
under the umbrella, not the least of which is the possible presence of a
cheaper cousin to the Q1 Ultra.

H.S. Kim, executive vice president and general manager of Samsung's computer
division, will be officially unveiling the device later today, and hopes
to double or triple the sales of Samsung's initial Q1 line by adding a
cheaper variant. Samsung’s original Q1 has sold roughly 100,000 units in its
year on the market. "In order to have more users who can afford this kind
of product, we are thinking of coming up with a second version."

With the amount of technology crammed into the top-of-the-line Q1 Ultra, it's
no surprise that there are plenty of places to save a few bucks by opting out
of the options. Specifications were laid out in a previous
DailyTech article earlier this week, but notably absent were the
processor and chipset specifications. Thanks to an alert
reporter at PC World, a little more is now known.

The Q1 Ultra will be riding on Intel's Centrino platform, codenamed Santa Rosa, and will be sporting a new Core 2 based processor
running at a mere 800MHz. Intel's 965 chipset will provide the core logic, and
by association a GMA3000-derived graphics chipset will offer DirectX 9.0c
features. Weight is slightly reduced to 1.5lbs from the 1.7lbs of the Q1, and
just over a half-inch of height is shaved off.

However, DailyTech insider Marcus Pollice had an opportunity to play with the Q1 earlier today, only to report the prototype is far from complete. "If the info CPU-Z gives out is somewhat correct, it's running a 90nm Dothan-based CPU at 0.8V," he said.

In addition to the standard hard drive and SSD-based models of the original Q1,
Samsung is also "planning to have this hybrid drive some
day in the near future," added Kim.

Pricing has not been officially released, but sources estimate a street price
of $1,200 USD for a well-equipped Q1 Ultra.

"There is a single light of science, and to brighten it anywhere is to brighten it everywhere." -- Isaac Asimov